Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the report for the week ending January 19, 2018.

• Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 23rd, beginning with Closed Session at 5:00 PM, followed by the Regular Meeting of the Richmond City Council at 6:30 PM.  The agenda may be found by clicking this link:
Richmond City Council Agenda Packet.

• Martin Luther King Day on the Greenway

MLK Day in Richmond proved to be a great opportunity for the community to gather and appreciate the rich and diverse culture that the city has to offer.  A highlight of the day was the grand opening of Unity Park on the Richmond Greenway organized by the Friends of the Richmond Greenway.

ServiceWorks, a program housed by the Richmond Community Services Department, had the honor of participating in this 11th Annual MLK Day of Service on the Richmond Greenway. The ServiceWorks team, along with volunteers, assisted the Friends of the Richmond Greenway with registration, tree planting, set-up, break-down, and many other tasks. The team signed up over 500 participants who came out to help volunteer. It was a great opportunity for the ServiceWorks youth participants to work closely with the Richmond community.

The team would like to thank the organizers, outreach team, and all of the cooks for hosting and helping a delightful event.

• Get Covered Richmond! Health Care Enrollment Event Tomorrow – Saturday January 20th

Do you know what health care options are available to you for 2018? Do you need help to re-enroll or enroll for the first time in health care coverage? Join us on Saturday, January 20th for a special event to make sure you have the right coverage for the year ahead! The Affordable Care Act is STILL here, which means you still have several options for care that fit you and your family, such as:

• Covered CA in the Gold, Silver, or Bronze category. 90% of people who apply get financial aid.
• Medi-Cal coverage if you qualify! Youth under 19 can get coverage under Medi-Cal.
• Contra Costa Cares, a program of basic medical services available to county residents REGARDLESS of age, condition, or immigration status.

Date/Time:         Saturday, January 20th, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Location:            City of Richmond Recreation Complex
3230 Macdonald Avenue
Richmond, CA  94804

Please RSVP online at www.getcoveredrichmond.eventbrite.com

Things you'll need to bring to the event:

• Piece of mail, which should be an actual household or credit card bill;
• Paystubs for at least 2 months;
• Tax returns for tax year 2016;
• Identity: Photo ID, driver’s license, or U.S. passport for each adult applying.

The Open Enrollment Deadline for Covered CA is January 31st.
If you have any questions you can email gabino_arredondo@ci.richmond.ca.us or call (510) 620-6606. You can also visit www.RichmondHealth.org.

• I-80 Central Avenue Operations Improvement Project (I-80 and Central Avenue)

Work is continuing on the I-80/Central Avenue improvement project.  At this stage of the project, the electrical contractor, Mike Brown Electrical (MBE), is working nights to trench and place conduit on Central Avenue.  Please be advised that during the week of January 22nd, the general contractor, Ghilotti Brothers, will close one lane on Central Avenue at the 580 westbound off and on ramps to install protective barriers (KRail).  
  
Visit the project webpage for more information: www.ccta.net/projects/project/36

Questions: Call Community Outreach Representative Jacqueline Majors at (510) 882-1603; or email: I80CentralAve@gmail.com.  

• The Construction Resource Center Offers Project Management Classes

The City of Richmond continues to expand its construction training opportunities.  The Construction Resource Center, a Chevron eQuip Richmond initiative housed at the RichmondBUILD training facility, started the 3rd cohort of project management classes with 24 students.  The 10-week class offers small construction contractors and soon-to-be licensed contractors, with training and preparation on effective project management.  The class covers principles of project management, leading high performing teams, managing risk, and using Microsoft Project software.

Upcoming classes include bonding, financing, bidding & estimating, and QuickBooks for small businesses.

Richmond residents interested in in learning more about the Construction Resource Center’s classes and services should call Shannon Hickman or Leon Gilmore at (510) 307-8057.

• City Manager Chronicles

I have listed below some of the topics for meetings that I attended during the past week in the hope that it provides an idea of the varied issues with which our organization deals routinely.

Meetings and events of note during the past week included:

• Attended the Unity Park grand opening event on the Richmond Greenway;
• Met with representatives from Veolia, along with Water Resource Recovery Manager Ryan Smith, Senior Administrative Analyst Mary Phelps, and Senior Deputy City Attorney Everett Jenkins, the City’s contract wastewater system operator, to discuss implementation of the capital improvement plan;
• Attended the monthly Council of Industries lunch, at which Mayor Butt made a presentation regarding the Richmond marketing and branding plan developed out of his office;
• Attended the Richmond Promise board meeting;
• Attended the Board meeting for the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecycleMore) at which the five West Contra Costa County city managers presented recommendations for restructuring the organization;
• Met with a multi-department group of City staff to discuss ways to improve the safety and appearance of the City’s parks;
• Met with the City’s State issues lobbyist to discuss the City’s legislative priorities.

These meetings were in addition to attending the regular management staff meeting, agenda planning, reviewing staff reports to the City Council, doing department head “check-ins,” having discussions on various personnel matters, and having short discussions with staff, community members, members of the press, etc.

• Richmond Promise Scholarship Deadline is Fast Approaching, March 10th!

To be eligible for the Richmond Promise Scholarship, a student must:

• Be a resident of Richmond or North Richmond (i.e. have a Richmond home address)
• Have graduated from an eligible high school within the West Contra Costa Unified School District boundary area or received your GED/high school equivalency between June 2017-2018
• Have attended an eligible high school, at least, 9th - 12th grade consecutively
• Complete the FAFSA/Dream Act by the March 2nd Cal Grant deadline

The application can be found on our website: https://richmondpromise.org/the-scholarship-application/
Please share this opportunity with eligible students in your life!
The FAFSA application for financial aid can be found at https://fafsa.ed.gov/, and Dream Act application can be found at https://dream.csac.ca.gov/.

To receive assistance completing your applications, visit your College & Career Center, or stop by Richmond Promise Office Hours at the times below!

• El Cerrito High School: Monday – 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
• Richmond High School: Monday – 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
• Richmond Police Activities League (RPAL): Tuesday – 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
• De Anza High School: Wednesday – 1:50 PM - 2:30 PM
• Greenwood High School: Thursday – 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
• Kennedy High School: Thursday – 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM 

Cash for Colleges in February!

There will be two additional Cash for College events in February! Parents and students are encouraged to attend to receive assistance in completing their financial aid applications, FAFSA, or the CA Dream Act.

• February 7th, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM at Kennedy High School
• February 24th, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at Richmond Civic Center

Questions or want to request a workshop? Info@richmondpromise.org or (510) 761-7231.

• Rent Program Community Workshops Calendar 2018

Community education is a core component of the services provided by the Richmond Rent Program.  The Rent Program will host monthly Community Workshops on Saturday mornings to educate tenants, landlords, and others on the requirements of the Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction, and Homeowner Protection Ordinance. 

Please see below for additional information.
 
Rent Program Community Workshops Calendar 2018
City Council Chambers
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Space is limited – RSVP today: https://rentprogram.eventbrite.com

• Free Clipper Card Giveaway in Downtown

Did you know that there is a new surcharge on paper BART tickets?  Now is the perfect time to start using the Clipper Card.  Come Downtown to the SparkPoint Conference Room (1000 Macdonald Avenue, #D) on Thursday, January 25th from 5:30 PM -7:30 PM to get a FREE Clipper card, learn how to use Clipper and save money on BART, and apply for a Youth or Senior Clipper Card (please bring proof of birth date).

There is no need to RSVP. Just drop in to pick up your FREE card, learn how to use it, and get all your questions about Clipper answered.

A BART Title VI Mitigation outreach event; Sponsored by Richmond Main Street.

• STEAM – Fun with Science (Diversión con Ciencia)

The Richmond Public Library is inviting the children to join in the excitement for our children’s program, STEAM Fun. After a very fun – but messy – October, with colored slime and frosting on haunted houses, we offered cleaner, engineering fun.  In November, kids created pasta cars and ran them down different size and inclines of ramps. They found out where they needed to have the most weight in the car (front or back or center distribution). They also made balloons propel along a rope. A few enterprising kids tried propelling their cars with balloons! 21 people participated! We hope to increase attendance again in the spring.

The program will be available on the first weekend of the month through April 2018.

Saturday, February 3rd;
Friday, March 2nd; and
Friday, April 6th

Pass on the news to friends with kids – hope to see you there!

• Apply for Your U.S. Passport at Richmond City Hall!

The City of Richmond City Clerk’s Office is accepting passport applications on behalf of the United States Department of State.  United States citizens planning international travel may apply for their passport at 450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300, during the following hours by appointment only:

Monday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Friday:  10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
(Closed 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – days of operation only)

Please recognize that the area is an operational executive office, and a quiet zone.  No drop in service for same day appointments or scheduling future appointments is available at this time; you must call (510) 620-6786 to schedule all appointments. 

For application forms, information on documentation required, fees, and a wealth of other passport and international travel information, visit the only official website for passport information – travel.state.gov.

For more information about the City of Richmond Passport Acceptance Facility, please visit http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/passports.

• Community Services Highlights

Upcoming Events

4th Annual Youth Job Fair, Ages 15-24

Whether you like spending time outdoors, working with children, aquatics, or public safety, there's something for you with the East Bay Regional Park District! Learn about the wide variety of job opportunities for youth and students while exploring the many jobs available for the summer and in the near future. Free lunch and shuttle provided. Pre-registration is not required; drop-in event.

Date, Time & Location:
Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Richmond Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center
403 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804

Schedule for Event
10:00 AM - Doors Open!
10:00 AM -11:00 AM - Job Fair
11:15 AM -11:45 AM - Workshops
12:00 NOON - Farewell!

*Free Shuttle from El Cerrito del Norte BART leaves at 9:45 AM, final drop off is at 12:15 PM**

Follow us on Facebook and stay updated on our Facebook event page here.
Can’t make it? There is another Youth Job Fair event scheduled in Livermore at the Robert Livermore Community Center on January 20, 2018.

Black History Month Event

The Richmond Community Services Department (CSD) is hosting its annual Black History Celebration on Saturday, February 3rd at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM. This year’s celebration will honor the achievements of Richmond’s youth through dancing, music, and spoken word.

The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts and the Richmond High School Majorettes will highlight the day with drumming and dancing.

The entrance fee for this annual celebration is $10 and dinner will be provided. Follow updates on the Facebook event page.

Info: (510) 620-6793

Warriors Game Fundraiser

The Ed Fund, in collaboration with the West Contra Costa Unified School District, invites you to see the Golden State Warriors play on February 22nd at 7:30 PM at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The proceeds will go to support the Ed Fund and their mission to serve as a resource that aligns with the efforts of our partners to ensure that all our students succeed in college, career, and life.

For more information, check out and RSVP on the Facebook event page. Deadline to order tickets is February 1, 2018. Promo code: WCCUSD.

The Ed Fund has invested nearly 4 million dollars to help bridge the opportunity gap for our students. Recently, The Ed Fund awarded $22,000 in Bradley Arts grants to support 22 schools around the district to help fund their art projects.

ServiceWorks Richmond – Volunteers Needed

ServiceWorks, in conjunction with the City of Richmond Community Services Department, Points of Light, AmeriCorps and Citi Foundation, is actively recruiting volunteers to assist with groundbreaking programming. The program’s primary goal is to engage young adults (16-24 years of age) and bring educational modules that drive skill building, volunteering, and success coaching as strategies to help address barriers to youth economic opportunity.

The program offers the opportunity for participants, also known as Service Scholars, to gain valuable college and career experience to which they may not have easy access. Through developing their own service projects and team exercises, Service Scholars will have the opportunity to gain a range of skills.

Volunteers are vital to the success of this program. We are looking for all who wish to make a positive impact on the lives of the youth within our community. Whether it is for a week, a day, or even just a few hours in a month, you can help empower the service scholars to face any obstacle that they may block their path towards sustainable community development.

ServiceWorks gives youth the keys to unlock their future; we are looking for volunteers who will give them the means to open the door.

For more information, please contact: Nicholas Delgado (510) 621-1834, or email: Nicholas_Delgado@ci.richmond.ca.us

• Information Technology

Website Statistics for the Week Ending 01-19-2018

• Page likes are up 50%
• Page views are up 44%
• Page previews up 275%
• People reached up 1,055%
• Post engagements are up 3,550%
• Tweet impressions are up 239.1%

TOP TWEET OF THE WEEK

KCRT DATANET OF THE WEEK

• Engineering/CIP Departments

Engineering Projects:
On January 15, 2018, the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the grand opening of Unity Park was held along the Richmond Greenway Trail between 4th Street and 20th Street, at an approximate cost of $6 Million.

Grand Opening of Unity Park

Streets Division:
Paving crews performed a base repair on portions of Roosevelt Avenue, installed a bus stop pad on Pierce Street adjacent to the Pacific East Mall, and worked from the outstanding pothole list in various locations around the City.

Base Repairs on Roosevelt Avenue

Bus Stop Pad Installation on Pierce Street

Street sweeping staff performed residential sweeping services for the third Monday through Friday in the North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North Belding Woods, Atchison Village, South Belding Woods, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.

Signs and Lines repaired 7 signs and poles, installed 4 new signs, and painted 20’ of curbs and zoning.

• Infrastructure Maintenance and Operations

Code Enforcement:
Code Enforcement Officer Tisdell received a complaint of a fence placed in the public right-of-way. The Officer sent a Notice of Violation to the property owner to remove the fence. The owner complied and removed the fence without further action.

Before and After

Facilities Maintenance Division:
Carpenters replaced benches in the Museum courtyard, dug out and framed the concrete pad for the electrical panels at Nicholl Park, and completed repairs to the brick wall of the handicap ramp in front of the Main Library.

Painters complete the gymnasium walls at the Booker T. Anderson Communtiy Center

Stationary Engineers conducted daily building and pool checks, replaced backwash sump pump at the Recreation Complex, replaced the furnace at Fire Station #63, repaired the lobby door of 440 Civic Center Plaza, replaced the inducer fan motor of the furnace at the Recreation Complex, cleaned the storm drain of the Bowling Green building, created keys, hung curtain in the Men’s Locker room at the Recreation Complex, installed new door at the Corporation Yard, and replaced the circulation motor for the children’s area at the Richmond Swim Center.

Utility Workers scrubbed and waxed floors at the Booker T. Community Center, tightened the door handle to the City Manager’s conference room, set up various rooms for meetings/events, and maintained City owned buildings.

Room Set-Up

Parks and Landscaping Division:  
General maintenance crews picked up trash on the Greenway, weeded and trimmed arount Clinton Avenue and 36th Street, repaired the gate at the Solano Playlot, weeded and trimmed the right of way on Amador, removed the dead tree by the Main Library, and prepared for the Unity Park grand opening.

Amador Right of Way Maintenance

The Tree crew cut or trimmed trees on 35th Street, Clinton Avenue, and Roosevelt Avenue.

Tree Trimming

Hilltop District crews continued maintenance around Hilltop Mall business area, continued with installation of irrigation at Vista Del Mar Park, and continued weed abatement on Atlas Road.

Maintenance on Atlas Road

Marina District crews mowed and edged turf, removed fallen leaves, and continued with the median strip improvements.

Median Project

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.

Have a great week!

Bill Lindsay
City Manager
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, California 94804
(510) 620-6512
Bill_lindsay@ci.richmond.ca.us

You can sign up to receive the City Manager’s weekly report and other information from the City of Richmond by visiting: www.ci.richmond.ca.us/list.aspx

See the next page to see options for connecting with the City of Richmond.

Connecting with the City of Richmond

Connect with the City of Richmond

To contact us by phone:

The City’s website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/) provides a department and staff directory at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/Directory.aspx.

If you’re not sure which department you need to contact, or, if you don’t receive a call back (which should not happen) from your original call or message, we encourage you to phone the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6512.

Using the CORConnect Application on the City’s Website:
You can use the CORConnect button on the City’s website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/) to report a concern, pose a question, or acknowledge the City’s work in some way.  These CORConnect issues go directly to the responsible department, and the city manager reviews reported issues on a regular basis to determine if City staff members are responding appropriately.  If you do not feel that you have received a satisfactory response, please contact the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6512.

To access CORConnect select the CORConnect button on the homepage of the City website.



Alternatively you can select the COR Connect button on any other webpage on the left hand side of the page.



On the next screen under Report an Issue select Report Issue/Concern to create a report or Search Issue/Concerns to look up a previously reported issue.  You can also look up previously submitted issues to check on the current status if you provided you name, phone number or email when you submitted it. 



On the page, you can also look up information on a parcel, see permits issued and look up business license information.  If you have a current business license you can pay to renew it online with a credit card.

The recommended browsers are: Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Internet Explorer version 11 using the compatibility mode. It can be found in the upper right corner of Internet Explorer: click on the "gear" icon and select Compatibility View Settings, then add the site to the list and click "Close".

The City of Richmond is looking forward to feedback from the community on CORConnect. We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us

Using the City of Richmond Mobile Application:
The City of Richmond mobile app provides Richmond’s community members with one-stop access to City services and information via mobile devices. The app allows quick and real-time reporting of neighborhood-related issues; viewing the City’s events calendar; finding addresses and phone numbers of local businesses, city departments and council members.  The City of Richmond’s mobile phone app is available on the Apple App store and Google Play store. 




We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us